EISAI INVESTS IN C2N TO SUPPORT SIMPLIFYING THE DIAGNOSIS OF EARLY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE TO BETTER SERVE PATIENTS

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Mar 05, 2024, 18:30 ET

TOKYO, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai") announced today that its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. has decided to invest up to 15 million USD in C₂N Diagnostics LLC (Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, the United States "C₂N") to support C₂N's efforts to expand the availability, accessibility, affordability and utilization of blood-based tests for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the U.S. This investment is in addition to the collaboration with C₂N announced in August 2022 regarding the use of blood-based assays in the diagnosis of people living with dementia in clinical practice in the U.S.

The presence of amyloid β (Aβ), a component of AD pathology, is currently confirmed using advanced diagnostic techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) or by tests that require the collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). By investing in C₂N, Eisai seeks to support efforts to advance blood-based Aβ diagnostics that are accurate and affordable, providing new options for confirming the presence of Aβ.

"The field of highly accurate blood-based diagnostics is rapidly advancing and expanding," said Keisuke Naito, Global Alzheimer's Disease Officer, Senior Vice President, Eisai. "Given the expense and capacity limitations of PET and CSF tests, Eisai is working to support the dementia ecosystem's growth. The availability of more affordable and minimally invasive diagnostic tools helps support broad access for the management of Alzheimer's disease."

An estimated 6.7 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer's dementia.¹ Clinical symptoms alone cannot provide accurate diagnosis. Identifying patients through accurate and simple blood-based testing may lead to more efficient diagnoses, expanded treatment opportunities and reduced medical and care costs, thereby simplifying and accelerating earlier treatment, when appropriate. Importantly, blood-based tests could also support improved care for people in underserved communities and areas where access to amyloid PET and CSF testing are not a viable option.

As a pioneer in the AD field and an hhceco company, Eisai is strongly committed to supporting the development of an environment that includes the blood-based diagnosis of AD. Using multiple approaches, Eisai collaborates with several diagnostic companies and with local governments to expand the dementia ecosystem. This investment and Eisai's collaboration with C₂N are examples of such activities, through which we seek to provide and support solutions that can help relieve the anxieties of people living with AD, their families and care partners.

[Notes to editors]

About C₂N Diagnostics, LLC

C₂N Diagnostics ("C₂N") is a specialty diagnostics company with a vision to bring Clarity Through Innovation^®. C₂N strives to provide exceptional clinical laboratory services and advanced diagnostic solutions in the field of brain health. C₂N's high-resolution mass spectrometry-based biomarker services and products are used for: clinical decision-making to improve patient care, including diagnosis and treatment monitoring; maximizing the quality and efficiency of clinical trials that test novel treatments for neurodegeneration; and providing innovative tools to help healthcare researchers better understand novel mechanisms of disease, identify new treatment targets, and conduct important epidemiologic studies to improve global public health.

C₂N assays have been used in over 150 Alzheimer's disease and other research studies throughout the U.S. and the world. This includes landmark treatment and prevention trials involving disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are changing the trajectory of Alzheimer's disease. C₂N has ongoing collaborations with multi-national pharmaceutical and biotech companies, leading academic institutions, National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's Association, and other non-profits and consortiums. Over 15,000 Precivity™-related biomarker measures have been reported through peer-reviewed publications, with many more manuscripts currently under review. For more information visit www.C2N.com.